modeste mignon-第42节

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were　to　work　upon　that　thought　he　could　bring　her　to　the　edge　of　the

abyss；　pious　as　she　is。〃



〃And　have　you　studied　Modeste？〃



〃I　thought　I　told　you；〃　replied　Butscha；　〃that　my　life　belongs　to　her；

just　as　France　belongs　to　the　king。　Do　you　now　understand　what　you

called　my　spying　in　Paris？　No　one　but　me　really　knows　what　nobility；

what　pride；　what　devotion；　what　mysterious　grace；　what　unwearying

kindness；　what　true　religion；　gaiety；　wit；　delicacy；　knowledge；　and

courtesy　there　are　in　the　soul　and　in　the　heart　of　that　adorable

creature！〃



Butscha　drew　out　his　handkerchief　and　wiped　his　eyes；　and　La　Briere

pressed　his　hand　for　a　long　time。



〃I　live　in　the　sunbeam　of　her　existence；　it　comes　from　her；　it　is

absorbed　in　me；　that　is　how　we　are　united；as　nature　is　to　God；　by

the　Light　and　by　the　Word。　Adieu；　monsieur；　never　in　my　life　have　I

talked　in　this　way；　but　seeing　you　beneath　her　windows；　I　felt　in　my

heart　that　you　loved　her　as　I　love　her。〃



Without　waiting　for　an　answer　Butscha　quitted　the　poor　lover；　into

whose　heart　his　words　had　put　an　inexpressible　balm。　Ernest　resolved

to　make　a　friend　of　him；　not　suspecting　that　the　chief　object　of　the

clerk's　loquacity　was　to　gain　communication　with　some　one　connected

with　Canalis。　Ernest　was　rocked　to　sleep　that　night　by　the　ebb　and

flow　of　thoughts　and　resolutions　and　plans　for　his　future　conduct；

whereas　Canalis　slept　the　sleep　of　the　conqueror；　which　is　the

sweetest　of　slumbers　after　that　of　the　just。



At　breakfast　next　morning；　the　friends　agreed　to　spend　the　evening　of

the　following　day　at　the　Chalet　and　initiate　themselves　into　the

delights　of　provincial　whist。　To　get　rid　of　the　day　they　ordered　their

horses；　purchased　by　Germain　at　a　large　price；　and　started　on　a　voyage

of　discovery　round　the　country；　which　was　quite　as　unknown　to　them　as

China；　for　the　most　foreign　thing　to　Frenchmen　in　France　is　France

itself。



By　dint　of　reflecting　on　his　position　as　an　unfortunate　and　despised

lover；　Ernest　went　through　something　of　the　same　process　as　Modeste's

first　letter　had　forced　upon　him。　Though　sorrow　is　said　to　develop

virtue；　it　only　develops　it　in　virtuous　persons；　that　cleaning…out　of

the　conscience　takes　place　only　in　persons　who　are　by　nature　clean。　La

Briere　vowed　to　endure　his　sufferings　in　Spartan　silence；　to　act

worthily；　and　give　way　to　no　baseness；　while　Canalis；　fascinated　by

the　enormous　〃dot；〃　was　telling　himself　to　take　every　means　of

captivating　the　heiress。　Selfishness　and　devotion；　the　key…notes　of

the　two　characters；　therefore　took；　by　the　action　of　a　moral　law　which

is　often　very　odd　in　its　effects；　certain　measures　that　were　contrary

to　their　respective　natures。　The　selfish　man　put　on　self…abnegation；

the　man　who　thought　chiefly　of　others　took　refuge　on　the　Aventinus　of

pride。　That　phenomenon　is　often　seen　in　political　life。　Men　frequently

turn　their　characters　wrong　side　out；　and　it　sometimes　happens　that

the　public　is　unable　to　tell　which　is　the　right　side。



After　dinner　the　two　friends　heard　of　the　arrival　of　the　grand

equerry；　who　was　presented　at　the　Chalet　the　same　evening　by

Latournelle。　Mademoiselle　d'Herouville　had　contrived　to　wound　that

worthy　man　by　sending　a　footmen　to　tell　him　to　come　to　her；　instead　of

sending　her　nephew　in　person；　thus　depriving　the　notary　of　a

distinguished　visit　he　would　certainly　have　talked　about　for　the　rest

of　his　natural　life。　So　Latournelle　curtly　informed　the　grand　equerry；

when　he　proposed　to　drive　him　to　the　Chalet；　that　he　was　engaged　to

take　Madame　Latournelle。　Guessing　from　the　little　man's　sulky　manner

that　there　was　some　blunder　to　repair；　the　duke　said　graciously：



〃Then　I　shall　have　the　pleasure；　if　you　will　allow　me；　of　taking

Madame　Latournelle　also。〃



Disregarding　Mademoiselle　d'Herouville's　haughty　shrug；　the　duke　left

the　room　with　the　notary。　Madame　Latournelle；　half…crazed　with　joy　at

seeing　the　gorgeous　carriage　at　her　door；　with　footmen　in　royal　livery

letting　down　the　steps；　was　too　agitated　on　hearing　that　the　grand

equerry　had　called　for　her；　to　find　her　gloves；　her　parasol；　her

absurdity；　or　her　usual　air　of　pompous　dignity。　Once　in　the　carriage；

however；　and　while　expressing　confused　thanks　and　civilities　to　the

little　duke；　she　suddenly　exclaimed；　from　a　thought　in　her　kind

heart；



〃But　Butscha；　where　is　he？〃



〃Let　us　take　Butscha；〃　said　the　duke；　smiling。



When　the　people　on　the　quays；　attracted　in　groups　by　the　splendor　of

the　royal　equipage；　saw　the　funny　spectacle；　the　three　little　men　with

the　spare　gigantic　woman；　they　looked　at　one　another　and　laughed。



〃If　you　melt　all　three　together；　they　might　make　one　man　fit　to　mate

with　that　big　cod…fish；〃　said　a　sailor　from　Bordeaux。



〃Is　there　any　other　thing　you　would　like　to　take　with　you；　madame？〃

asked　the　duke；　jestingly；　while　the　footman　awaited　his　orders。



〃No；　monseigneur；〃　she　replied；　turning　scarlet　and　looking　at　her

husband　as　much　as　to　say；　〃What　did　I　do　wrong？〃



〃Monsieur　le　duc　honors　me　by　considering　that　I　am　a　thing；〃　said

Butscha；　〃a　poor　clerk　is　usually　thought　to　be　a　nonentity。〃



Though　this　was　said　with　a　laugh；　the　duke　colored　and　did　not

answer。　Great　people　are　to　blame　for　joking　with　their　social

inferiors。　Jesting　is　a　game；　and　games　presuppose　equality；　it　is　to

obviate　any　inconvenient　results　of　this　temporary　equality　that

players　have　the　right；　after　the　game　is　over；　not　to　recognize　each

other。



The　visit　of　the　grand　equerry　had　the　ostensible　excuse　of　an

important　piece　of　business；　namely；　the　retrieval　of　an　immense　tract

of　waste　land　left　by　the　sea　between　the　mouths　of　the　two　rivers；

which　tract　had　just　been　adjudged　by　the　Council　of　State　to　the

house　of　Herouville。　The　matter　was　nothing　less　than　putting　flood…

gates　with　double　bridges；　draining　three　or　four　hundred　acres；

cutting　canals；　and　laying　out　roadways。　When　the　duke　had　explained

the　condition　of　the　land；　Charles　Mignon　remarked　that　time　must　be

allowed　for　the　soil；　which　was　still　moving；　to　settle　and　grow　solid

in　a　natural　way。



〃Time；　which　has　providentially　enriched　your　house；　Monsieur　le　duc；

can　alone　complete　the　work；〃　he　said；　in　conclusion。　〃It　would　be

prudent　to　let　fifty　years　elapse　before　you　reclaim　the　land。〃



〃Do　not　let　that　be　your　final　word；　Monsieur　le　comte；〃　said　the

duke。　〃Come　to　Herouville　and　see　things　for　yourself。〃



Charles　Mignon　replied　that　every　capitalist　should　take　time　to

examine　into　such　matters　with　a　cool　head；　thus　giving　the　duke　a

pretext　for　his　visits　to　the　Chalet。　The　sight　of　Modeste　made　a

lively　impression　on　the　young　man；　and　he　asked　the　favor　of

receiving　her　at　Herouville　with　her　father；　saying　that　his　sister

and　his　aunt　had　heard　much　of　her；　and　wished　to　make　her

acquaintance。　On　this　the　count　proposed　to　present　his　daughter　to

those　ladies　himself；　and　invited　the　whole　party　to　dinner　on　the　day

of　his　return　to　the　villa。　The　duke　accepted　the　invitation。　The　blue

ribbon；　the　title；　and　above　all；　the　ecstatic　glances　of　the　noble

gentleman　had　an　effect　upon　Modeste；　but　she　appeared　to　great

advantage　in　carriage；　dignity；　and　conversation。　The　duke　withdrew

reluctantly；　carrying　with　him　an　invitation　to　visit　the　Chalet　every

evening；an　invitation　based　on　the　impossibility　of　a　courtier　of

Charles　X。　existing　for　a　single　evening　without　his　rubber。



The　following　evening；　therefore；　Modeste　was　to　see　all　three　of　her

lovers。　No　matter　what　young　girls　may　say；　and　though　the　logic　of

the　heart　may　lead　them　to　sacrifice　everything　to　preference；　it　is

extremely　flattering　to　their　self…love　to　see　a　number　of　rival

adorers　around　them；distinguished　or　celebrated　men；　or　men　of

ancient　lineage；all　endeavoring　to　shine　and　to　please。　Suffer　as

Modeste　may　in　general　estimation；　it　must　be　told　she　subsequently

admitted　that　the　sentiments　expressed　in　her　letters　paled　before　the

pleasure　of　seeing　three　such　different　minds　at　war　with　one　another；

three　men　who；　taken　separately；　would　each　have　done　honor　to　the

most　exacting　family。　Yet　this　luxury　of　self…love　was　checked　by　a

misanthropical　spitefulness；　resulting　from　the　terrible　wound　she　had

received；although　by　this　time　she　was　beginning　to　think　of　that

wound　as　a　disappointment　only。　So　when　her　father　said　to　her；

laughing；　〃Well；　Modeste；　do　you　want　to　be　a　duchess？〃　she　answered；

with　a　mocking　curtsey；



〃Sorrows　have　made　me　philosophical。〃



〃Do　you　mean　to　be　only　a　baroness？〃　asked　Butscha。



〃Or　a　viscountess？〃　said　her　father。



〃How　could　that　be？〃　she　asked　quickly。



〃If　you　accept　Monsieur　de　La　Briere；　he　has　enough　merit　and

influence　to　obtain　permission　from　the　king　to　bear　my　titles　and

arms。〃



〃Oh；　if　it　comes　to　disguising　himself；　HE　will　not　make　any

difficulty；〃